Wes Montgomery
Also known as John Leslie Montgomery
American jazz guitarist (1923–1968)
Person · Open Library
- Works
- 12
Top works
- The Complete Riverside Recordings
- Wes Montgomery - Best of Boss Guitar
- Jazz Solos for Guitar
- Wes Montgomery Guitar Anthology
- Wes Montgomery Guitar Anthology (Songbook)
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 824,011
- Total plays
- 10,977,626
Tags
jazzjazz guitar
~15 min read
Article
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. He is most known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a distinctive sound. Montgomery often worked with his brothers Buddy (Charles F.) and Monk (William H.), as well as organist Melvin Rhyne. His recordings up to 1965 were oriented toward hard bop, soul jazz, and post bop, but around 1965 he began recording more pop-oriented instrumental albums that found mainstream success. His later guitar style influenced jazz fusion and smooth jazz.
Early life and education